Target Responds to Backlash Over Thanksgiving Night Black Friday Sale

Target is pushing back against complaints that its Thanksgiving evening opening is ruining employees' holiday.

The retailer announced on Monday that its Black Friday sale will start the evening before, with doors set to open at 9 p.m. Target (TGT) is one of a number of retailers kicking things off early: Walmart (WMT), Sears (SHLD), Kmart and Toys R Us will all get the bargain surge started an hour earlier, at 8 p.m.

But Target has come in for particularly harsh criticism after a petition against the early opening at online petition site Change.org went viral. Titled "Target: Take the high road and save Thanksgiving," it has been signed by more than 228,000 users as of Friday morning.

The campaign was kicked off by Change.org user "C Renee," who identifies herself as longtime Target employee who lives in Corona, Calif. She says that Thanksgiving is the one day she has available to relax and spend time with family and friends, and pleads with Target CEO Gregg W. Steinhafel to hold off the opening until early the next morning.

In the letter/petition she asks people to sign, she writes: "A 9pm opening disgusts me and symbolizes everything that is wrong with this country. Give Thanksgiving back to families."

Does it stink that some people have to give up their evenings with family? Yeah. But we have to look in the mirror when trying to place the blame. I'm willing to bet that a good portion of those 228,000 that signed that petition will be willing to leave their families at home and be there at 9 o'clock ready to trample the weak under their feet to get that great deal on a TV.

You see this story every year now. Where did these people think they were working? It's retail and this is the biggest day of the year for them. Show me the company that isn't going to ask their employees to come in and work on their biggest day, retail or otherwise.

You see this story every year now. Where did these people think they were working? It's retail and this is the biggest day of the year for them. Show me the company that isn't going to ask their employees to come in and work on their biggest day, retail or otherwise.

I have worked at Target and other big retail stores...There are NO personal days or vacations allowed this time of year

From what I hear out of the over 1.5 million employees that Walmart has there are only 1500 protesting I want to see these people try toget in the way of the avergae Joe trying to get a TV before it sells out

In a couple years this will be a non story and retailers will then begin their day after Christmas sales at 8pm Christmas night.

They have to its the law

Actually, not all employers do. The law is different state to state. They don't have to pay anything extra for holidays here in Montana.

I'm kind of disappointed in the "Don't like it? Get a different job." attitudes that some people have regarding this issue. The fact is, someone has to work these jobs. I personally don't think ANY businesses should be open on Thanksgiving or Christmas...especially retailers. It's not a necessity, and is all about greed. People should get to spend time with their families on these days, and relax...away from the BS that goes along with working with the public.

In a couple years this will be a non story and retailers will then begin their day after Christmas sales at 8pm Christmas night.

They have to its the law

Actually, not all employers do. The law is different state to state. They don't have to pay anything extra for holidays here in Montana.

I'm kind of disappointed in the "Don't like it? Get a different job." attitudes that some people have regarding this issue. The fact is, someone has to work these jobs. I personally don't think ANY businesses should be open on Thanksgiving or Christmas...especially retailers. It's not a necessity, and is all about greed. People should get to spend time with their families on these days, and relax...away from the BS that goes along with working with the public.

Agreed on both points.

Florida appears to in the same boat regarding holiday pay.
Getting a different job in some areas is easier said than done when unemployment is 10%+ and not going to get any better soon.

In a couple years this will be a non story and retailers will then begin their day after Christmas sales at 8pm Christmas night.

They have to its the law

Actually, not all employers do. The law is different state to state. They don't have to pay anything extra for holidays here in Montana.

I'm kind of disappointed in the "Don't like it? Get a different job." attitudes that some people have regarding this issue. The fact is, someone has to work these jobs. I personally don't think ANY businesses should be open on Thanksgiving or Christmas...especially retailers. It's not a necessity, and is all about greed. People should get to spend time with their families on these days, and relax...away from the BS that goes along with working with the public.

Agreed on both points.

Florida appears to in the same boat regarding holiday pay.
Getting a different job in some areas is easier said than done when unemployment is 10%+ and not going to get any better soon.

People who live in the north east will know this store...Back in the late 90's I was the toy dept mgr at a store called Caldors and for two years in a row we opened on Thanksgiving Day.. I didn't like it but eh the whole day I think we had a total of 50 customers in the first year It was rally boring but they dropped it after the second year...The stores are doing this because the competitors are doing it.I think it was Kmart last year that did this.And now they all follow.

I've worked retail including target, kb toys, tru and Macy's......all of those jobs from the start tell you no time off from Nov to jan because of the holiday season. Everyone also had to work Black Friday, mandatory for everyone. It's part of the job, if you can't handle that then quit. You don't see cops, firefighters, dr/nurses complain about having to work holidays.

Exactly, I work at Gamestop and starting Nov. 1st you get a blackout period where no vacations can be taken until around end of january/beginning of february(christmas around here lasts until january 8th). There was a time where I was working at both Kmart and Gamestop and I had to work Thanksgiving day from 5 to 10pm, the next day(black friday) I worked from 6 am to 11 pm between the two stores. Working Holidays in retail is nothing new besides what about fast food employees who don't get holidays off or even worse soldiers who are deployed who have no chance of seeing their families on the Holidays. I'm sorry but to me these employees are being a bunch of whiners, they should be grateful they at least have jobs.

next year the sales will start the day before thanksgiving... they already had a bunch of online sales this year on thanksgiving eve

btw.. gamestop had a horrible blackfriday ad this year! they sucked

lol tell me about it, I saw the flyer and I thought: meh. My boss tried to convince me that we had good deals and gave up after 10 minutes of my facial expression not changing. Maybe I'm getting too old and grouchy for my job.